Roofing-seamer



(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Sheet 2. H. M. MILLER.

ROOFING SEAMER.

No. 325,108. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

WITNESSES orne y (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. M. MILLER.

ROOFING SEAMEE.

Patented Aug. 25, 1885..

WITNESSES joints of tin or other suitable material used chine provided with devices constructed and siren dramas ATENT Fries.

HORACE M. MILLER, OF \VABASH, INDIANA.

ROOFlNG-SEAMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,108, dated August 25, 1885.

Application filed May 27, 1885.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, Honacn M. MILLER, of VVabasluin the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ltoofing-Searners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom pan ying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention consists of a new and useful improvement in machines for seaming the for roofing purposes 3 and it consists of a maarranged to operate satisfactorily in performing the duty of rolling thejoints of the tin or other materiahwhich has been previously prepared by a folder, the purpose of which was to make the creases or joints on the edges of the sheets oftin, in order that the work ofmy 1 machine would seam these sheets together in a continuous roll of any desired length.

The ahove-mentioned improvement consists in a table or platform having a rectangular transverse recess near its center for the reception of the base beam or plate, preferably made of steel or iron, upon which bears the pressure-roller or seamer. This roller runs on a guide-beam arranged above this base-plate by means of fixed standards dovetailed into the ends of the base beam or plate, and provided with rectangular slots for the admission of the guidebeani for the roller. Said slots are constructed large enough to admit theen- I trance of two llat springs fixed upon the top edge of the guide-beam. Through the upper ends of the fixed standards there are inserted two small thumb-screws, (one on each standard,) which enter into the slots and impinge upon the center of the springs fixed on the guide-beam, thus rendering the said guidebeam vertically movable, and consequently 1 the tension or pressure of the seamer is re laxed or tightened, as may be desired. The 1 rectangular recess near the center of the plat-- 3 form is made of a certain depth, so that when= the base'beam is secured therein its top surface will he upon an equal plane with the surface of the platform. This beam has an autoscrews 1) I) in the ends of the standards.

(No model.)

ma-tie springstop arranged on its under side within the recess and projecting through the upper side of the base beam, and serving to hold the tin in proper position while seaming it.

To the end of the table, back of the seamer, are fixed three bifurcated standards, directly opposite to each other and at suitable intervals apart, as will be seen in the illustration. Between two of these standards is placed the completionroll, upon which the roofing material is wound when finished by the seamer. This roll is held within its bearings by means of a spiral spring, and is also made self-acting by devices attached in bearings between the second and third standards, that will hereinafter be more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is an end view of the roll, the shaft being in section. Fig. 3 is a view of guidebeam, basebeam, and standards, the baseplate being partly in section to show the automatic springstop. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of same. Fig.

5 is a detail longitudinal section of the winding-spool, its shaft, the shaft of the rolljournaled in the shaft of the spool, ratchet-wheels, and springpawls,

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is the table or platform, provided with a rectangular recess for the reception of the base-plate or pressure-bearer B, and to the ends of plate B are dovetailed the standards 0 U, which serve to sustain the guide beam or cross-head I). The beam .1) is secured within the slots a of the standards 0 U by means of the flat springs F If and the small thumb- The metallic pressurc-rol er or seamer E, which runs along the guide beam 1), is preferably east in one piece, and is constructed with arectangular slot, G, to allow the free passage of the guide-beam, and said seamer is free and independent in its movement along the crosshead guide, and also in its course over the re movable base-beam B. Beneath the guidebeam the seamer diverges into two external wings or projections, c e, in which bear the friction-rollers H H. These rollers are held hard against the guide-beam by thejournalhearing at d. The roller I is fastened in journal-bearings ff at the bottom ofthe seams E,

IOC

and ievolves over the tin when the seamer is movcd along the guide-beam by the handle W, which is secured in any suitable manner, either to the top of the seamer or on the side thereof, as may be desired.

Q Q, are suitably-arranged guides for the material used in its course during insertion and its progress toward the completion-roll L.

J is the automatic spring-stop which registers or catches in the seams of the tin when shoved on the base-plate B, and serves to hold it in position untilperfectly seamed.

K K K are three bifurcated standards having their bases secured upon the platform or table A. K and K are provided with bearings g g for the reel or roll L, upon which the completed roofing material is wound. The end of this roll adjacent to the standard K is provided with a spring-pawl, N, which engages the ratchct-wheel M, said ratchet-wheel being rigidly attached to the shaft i of the winding spool. This shaft 6 is also provided with a small spiral spring,whieh holds the roll securely against the bearing 9 of the standard K. The end of the shaft h of the take-up roll is journaled in the shaft 2' of the winding-spool, the said shaft being formed with a recess in its end adjacent to the roll for the admission of shaft 11. The spool O is also provided with a ratchet-wheel,R, and which engages springpawl S, attached to the standard K. The cord P passes over a small pulley, l, suspended from the rod T, suitably attached to the table or platform A, and to the end of the cord is attached the weight (not shown) which automatically turns-the roll L when operated in connection with the hereinbefore-described ratchetwheels, spring-pawls, and pulleys. When the weight runs to the length of the cord P, it can be rewound by the crank V, attached to the end of the shaft 73.

The operation of the devices hereinbefore described may be stated as follows: The tin is first inserted on the base-plate, under the cross-head, with the spring-stop holding in the crease of the joint to be seamed; The seamer is then run over the seam by means of the handle held by the operator, said seamer depressing the spring-stop and allowing the tin to slide onto the completion-roll, upon which it is rolled by means of the weight attached to the end of the cord of the spool, which automatically turns the shaft upon which the roll is secured in bearings, said.

spool turning its shaft, (it being rigidly secured thereto,) and thereby causes the ratchetwheel M, (which is also rigidly secured to shaft i,) to engage the springpawl N of the takeup roll. The revolution of the sin-ft causes the two sets of ratchet-wheels and pawls to operate in a manner which has been heretofore explained and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.

1. The independent seamer, having guiderollers, pressure-roller and handle, and a cross head guide for the seamer, having smooth straight sides, said seamer being arranged to encircle the said guide, in combination with the automatic spring-stop and the guides for the sheet metal, substantially as set forth.

2. Mechanism for seaming sheel metal, in combination with automatic mechanism for rolling the same, composed of the take-up roll, spring-pawl thereon, ratchet-wheel on the shaft of spool adjacent to the roll, the spool, ratchet-wheel also on shaft of spool eugaging spring-pawl attached to standard K, and the weight for operating said automatic devices, as set forth.

3. Mechanisinfor automatically rolling sheet metal, consisting of the take-up roll, springpawl on the end thereof, ratchet-wheel on shaft of spool adjacent to said roll, the spool, ratchet-wheel engaging spzingpawl attached to standard K", and the weight for operating said mechanism, as set forth.

4. The cross-head provided with tension devices, and the seamer having anti-friction and pressure rolls, in combination with the automatic stop, as set forth.

5. In a machine for seaming tin or other material, the combination, with the platform having slideguides, of the uprights havingsetscrews and adj listing-springs, the seamer having anti-friction rolls and seaming-roller, and the automatic spring'stop, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the seamer having pressure and anti-friction rolls, the cross-head guide provided with tension devices, the standards which support the cross-head guide, and the removable base=plate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE M. MILLER.

Witnesses VVARREN Bremen, WILLIAM H. BENT. 

